Cultural Differences

This weekend, Chenea and I went to Salzburg, and while we were there, a couple asked us what we think are the biggest differences between living in Europe and the U.S. It took us a while to think about, I guess because we have just become accustomed to the European lifestyle, but then we kept thinking of things throughout our trip, and I thought you might want to know what we came up with. Some are definitely things I miss about the U.S. and other parts I will be so sad to leave when I come home.
1. 24-Hour Convenience-- Nothing is open past 11PM here... not even gas stations or McDonalds (yes, we do have McDonalds, even in little Garmisch). The grocery stores close at 8 and nothing is open on Sunday. I will definitely be excited to have 24 hour Walgreens back!
2. Restaurant Service-- Servers here do only that-- serve you food and nothing more. No chit chatting or asking how you are doing. Definitely no free re-fills or free tap water! Even ketchup costs extra. And you have to flag them down if you want something. Unlike in the U.S. where servers must check on their tables every few minutes, in Europe they will leave you alone until you ask for something. And tipping is not required. Generally you just round up to the next dollar. Also, people may come ask you if seats are free at your table and just sit down. I make lots of new friends at my little coffee shop because this happens all the time!
3. Shopping-- No malls or one-stop shopping places like Target here! Mostly just shopping streets lined with very expensive stores. Even grocery shopping is not the same. Europeans do not do all the shopping for a month at one time like at home. Instead they often go to the grocery store daily to get the fresh foods they need to cook.
4. Transportation-- In Europe, many people travel by train, bike, or foot. People do have cars, but no huge SUVS like in the States. I love seeing senior citizens on bikes!
5. Appearance-- You will not find Europeans wearing sweatpants, tennis shoes, and t-shirts out in public. Sometimes I wonder if they even own such clothes because everyone always looks presentable in public!
6. I almost forgot a HUGE difference... drinking. The drinking age here is 16 for beer and wine and 18 for liquor. And you can drink anywhere... trains, cars, walking down the street. Any anytime... people have beer with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and sometimes it is even cheaper to get beer than soda or water. And you can buy beer anywhere and everywhere... even Subway sells it!

These are just some of the differences we have experienced, and you should be prepared for if you decide to come visit!